Three school science technicians who were exposed to poisonous fumes at work have won compensation in an out-of-court settlement.

One of the three women, April Walsh, 34, who has now been made redundant, said that staff were worried that there was inadequate ventilation in the science lab’s fume cupboard in new school buildings that were opened earlier this year. The school had been made aware of their concerns on several occasions, but no action was taken.

The exposure happened when one of the technicians opened a box containing a bottle of bromine that had corroded. The vapours escaped and the technicians only had masks and gloves to protect them.

Bromine poisoning can cause long-term health problems and, in severe cases, brain damage. All three women experienced tingling in the mouth and eyes and began coughing. They presented with flu-like symptoms for several weeks and underwent chest X-rays as a precautionary measure.

A claim was brought against the school which, it was argued, should have taken remedial action once it had been notified of the ventilation problem. Mrs Walsh, who has now been given a clean bill of health by her doctors, won £3,500 in compensation and it is thought that the other technicians received similar amounts.